I was in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) that he gave a description of Paradise and then Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) concluded with these words: There would be bounties which the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard and no human heart has ever perceived them. He then recited this verse:" They forsake (their) beds, calling upon their Lord in fear and in hope, and spend out of what We have given them. So no soul knows what refreshment of the eyes is hidden for them: a reward for what they did" (xxxii. 16-17)
The Incomparable Bounties of Paradise
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) describes Paradise's delights as beyond human comprehension—what no eye has witnessed, no ear has heard, and no heart has conceived. This emphasizes the transcendent nature of divine reward, surpassing all worldly experience and imagination.
The Spiritual State of the Righteous
The Quranic verses (32:16-17) highlight three key virtues of Paradise's inhabitants: rising at night for prayer (abandoning comfortable beds), calling upon Allah with both fear and hope, and charitable spending from divine provisions.
"What refreshment of the eyes" refers to the ultimate spiritual and physical joy reserved for the righteous—a secret known only to Allah, perfectly matching their deeds in quality and magnitude.
Scholarly Commentary
Classical scholars explain that "fear and hope" represent the balanced spiritual state—fear of Allah's punishment and hope for His mercy. The "beds" symbolize sacrificing worldly comfort for divine pleasure through night prayers (Tahajjud).
The hidden reward demonstrates Allah's infinite generosity—preparing blessings so magnificent they remain unimaginable until actually witnessed by the believers in the Hereafter.